troops found a hole 8 metres in diameter in the ice on the lake about 70 kilometres west of the major city. they found a crate nearby. people in other locations have found what they say are pieces of the meteorite. scientists say the object may weigh about 10 tons. >> the small asteroid enters the earth's atmosphere and started burning. it looked like a bright fireball in the sky. the meteor fell faster than the speed of sound, and we believe the shock wave is what shattered the windows. with this kind of size, it's very difficult to detect until it actually hits the earth. it's fair to say this event was completely unforeseen.

the central bank chiefs of the g20 nations agreed they should not compete to devalue their currencies. the officials reached the agreement in the first two days of talks in moscow. they discussed the impact of efforts made by leaders of industrialized nations to cut interest rates and boost money supply. leaders of imagined economies say they think leaders of industrialized nations are trying to manipulate exchange rates, thus boosting exports. the chiefs agreed they should not compete to devalue their currencies. japan's finest minister said the official said no major disagreements. >> translator: some people have used the term "currency war" in connection with monetary easing and foreign exchange policies. but i think most participants

agreed it's an exaggeration. >> general leaders have voiced concern over japan's monetary easing. they met with the finance minister to try to get his understanding. is. north korea's nuclear test drew stunned reactions from japan's neighbors. they denounced the test. they're getting ready to impose new sanctions. north korea hit back with their own denunciation. the agency criticized japan in a commentary. it accused the japanese of using the nuclear test as a reason to mill tarrize their country in partnership with the united states. they said the japanese are

trying to gain by making false accusations. north koreans used what would have been the birthday of their late leader to justify their nuclear test. officials gathered in pyongyang at what would have been the 71st birthday of kim jong il. they listened to speeches by leaders. number two leader praised kim jong il for having promoted the development of nuclear weapons. he said the nuclear test this week was a fair response to a u.s. violation of north korea's legitimate plight to the satellite. they said they will step up to defend the country's sovereignty. researchers in the united states believe north korea could be preparing a new missile launch in the wake of tuesday's nuclear test. their knowledge is based on recent sightings of a site east of thecountry. they looked at images of the

site. they compared photos taken in january with shots from three months earlier. they show a crane pointing in a different direction. part of the launch pad is also being cleared of snow. researchers say this activity could point to another missile test. the researchers also report that a new launch pad is being upgraded. they say it's benefiteen fitted three large planes. they talked about the one in iran. researchers estimate the construction could be completed in 2016. they say it would enable north korea to launch rockets three to four times larger than previous versions. north korean officials used the site for long range missiles in 2006 and 2009. south korean defense ministers said they remain on alert for

the possibility of another nuclear test by north korea. kim minsok said the north has been preparing for nuclear tests in the southern tunnel in addition to the western one used on tuesday. he said the entrance to the western tunnel appears to be intact after the underground explosion. he explained no radioactive materials have been detected because the tunnels have containment walls to prevent an outflow of blast winds. meanwhile, army commanders are preparing troops in case of a military conflict. they held an artillery exercise on the border and invite the media to observe. the second artillery brigade conducted a shelling drill at the demilitarized zone. rocket launchers fired at targets to check their speed and

accuracy. >> translator: if we face any military provocation, we will strike the enemy with overwhelming fire power. we will destroy the agressors and their supporting units. >> south military units have released footage of recently diployed cruise missiles, in their efforts to deter the north. japanese officials are making arrangements to get myanmar leader aung san chi so visit america. she is expected to hold talks with diet members and business leaders. officials say she intends to visit kyoto where she once stayed, at kyoto university. last month they promised new loans to myanmar totalling $5.4

million to help with the demilitarization and economic reforms. here's the seven-day weather forecast.

that's all for this hour on "newsline." i'm keiko kitigawa in tokyo. thank you for joining us.